Pick the best answer

What am I doing wrong on my Divorce Decree Papers?

Waco, TX | May 15, 2013 10:40pm

To be brief, I have filed for a divorce, and decided to do a "Do It Yourself Divorce," whereby I fill out and file everything myself without a divorce attorney. I sent the necessary forms to my local district clerk, and they later informed me to fill out the divorce decree forms, and send those to the local district court. It was suggested to me that I should get my divorce forms from TexasLawHelp.org. Here is the link to where I got my papers: http://texaslawhelp.org/resource/divorce-without-children-in-texas?ref=izLn2

The court coordinator contacted me, and informed me that the Judge says there are some mistakes on the forms. Without legal help, I am kind of lost over what these mistakes could be. Could someone help me by looking them over, and guide me on what I am doing wrong?

As my colleague properly indicated, it's unlikely anybody will volunteer his or her time. The reason for this is the same as the reason for your challenges with completing the forms. These are generally developed as a "one-size-fits-all", and - as I'm sure you've realized - every family has different circumstances, and each circumstance may invoke a different area of the law . The reason this process can be difficult is because you need somebody who will view YOUR circumstances and ensure the final paperwork meets the requirements of YOUR divorce. In this situation, you now need to either: a) start over; or b) find somebody who will review all the documentation and make the necessary adjustments/corrections. Option B may actually be more costly. Most lawyers in your area would not charge for a consultation so I would recommend asking around. Good luck.

This is the problem with those DIY forms. They are only as good as your ability to correctly fill them out. As you have learned, the forms are not very useful. Any local divorce attorney can help you file for divorce but it's doubtful any of my colleagues will be willing to help you for free.

Although divorce may seem simple to the layman, it rarely is. I have seen countless decrees that cannot be enforced because people try to save money and do the paperwork themselves. I imagine that you would not perform surgery on yourself, you probably should not try to do your own divorce.